A 17-year-old boy, with the help of a deputy, courageously rescued his missing 5-year-old autistic, nonverbal sister from a Florida lake earlier this week. The dramatic rescue was captured on camera.
“The Pasco Sheriff’s Office commends the 17-year-old brother for his courageous actions,” the agency said in its statement.
The Pasco Sheriff’s Office (PSO) received a call around 3:30 p.m. local time on Monday, October 6, concerning the missing child in the vicinity of Lake Lisa Park. Upon their arrival, deputies were informed that the girl had been seen in a nearby lake.
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Rushing to the scene, they discovered that the girl’s older brother “had already entered the water and had the child in a safe location on a branch while the brother was in the water,” according to a statement obtained by People.
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Body camera footage released by the PSO shows a deputy rushing to a group of women who had spotted the girl nearby. The deputy then scaled a wire fence, raced to the water’s edge, and, according to the video, saw the brother and sister in the lake.
In the clip, the teen informed the deputy that his younger sister was “awake” and “talking” as the deputy encouraged him to bring her to shore.
However, the teen explained that his sister was stuck between the branches of a tree hanging over the lake. The deputy then positioned himself behind the boy, who worked to free his sister.
“I’m right behind you!” the officer says while hanging from the largest branch.
“Give me her left hand,” the officer urges while getting within reach, ordering the teen to “pull her up” over another branch as the boy works to remove his sister from the tangle of twigs.
The video captures the girl giggling as her brother carefully pulls her from her dangerous spot. She attempts to hold onto smaller branches, but he gently guides her into his embrace.
“I got her! I got her!” he exclaims. “Thank God I’m standing on soil!”
According to the statement, officials said missing persons calls are one of the most common calls for service. The sheriff’s office has a Safety Net Tracking program for those prone to wandering.
SafetyNet was created to help agencies “bring loved ones with cognitive conditions home when they go missing.”
When a person is reported missing, SafetyNet is activated and begins emitting a continuous radio frequency signal, which allows rescue teams to track the individual’s device.
Officials urge people to report missing persons immediately, as there is no 24-hour waiting period to consider someone missing. Prompt reporting significantly increases the chance of a safe return.
